Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act and Local Ordinances

The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, adopted by the Virginia General Assembly in 1989, focuses on local land use planning and land management to affect a positive impact on water quality. The first sentence sets the tone for the rest of the statute:

Healthy state and local economies and a healthy Chesapeake Bay are integrally related; balanced economic development and water quality protection are not mutually exclusive.

The Act is mandatory for all Tidewater Virginia localities and note that other Virginia localities have opted in. Local implementation differs and thus, we've provided links to local ordinances below for your use.